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For many years Leandro Vieira was responsible for sharpening the jiu-jitsu of American Kickboxing Academy athletes, but last year, that partnership came to an end.

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“No hard feelings, but basically they changed [plans] after years of partnership,” explained Vieira, brother of the legendary Leonardo Vieira, leader of the Checkmat team. “When they invited me to take care of jiu-jitsu at AKA, there were no plans of having their own jiu-jitsu school so I came with Checkmat. But suddenly they decided to change the plans and built their own jiu-jitsu team.”

Vieira is now working at his own Bay Area gym in Morgan Hill, Calif.

“In the beginning it was very tough, but now I recognize it as the best thing that could happen in my life,” he said. “The philosophy of MMA is totally different from what we learn in martial arts. Now I´m almost 100% focused on my jiu-jitsu school. The only MMA fighter I´m working with is Marlon Vera.”

According to Vieir…

The stakes could be quite high for Yair Rodriguez in the UFC on ABC 3 main event this Saturday.

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During an appearance on "The MMA Hour," Rodriguez revealed that promotion officials have told him that a victory over Brian Ortega will earn him a featherweight title shot against reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski.

“Yes, that has been said to me,” Rodriguez said. “Yeah, that’s what we’re looking for. First things first, I’m going to win this fight and then give the champ some time to heal and yeah, go for it. For now, let’s take it step by step, first things first, July 16, Brian Ortega, that’s for now.”

Rodriguez hasn’t competed since UFC Fight Night 197, where he dropped a five-round verdict to Max Holloway this past November. The Mexican standout’s last victory came in October 2019, when he outpointed Jeremy Stephens at UFC on ESPN 6. Still, it may be possible that a victory over Ortega, a two-time title challenger, would be enough to prop…

The lineup for One Championship’s debut on Amazon Prime is now complete, and it includes the fourth mixed martial arts appearance for grappling ace Marcus Almeida.

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The Singapore-based promotion recently announced that “Buchecha” will square off against Kirill Grishenko in a heavyweight bout on the evening’s main card. Also set for the main draw is another heavyweight MMA clash pitting Amir Aliakbari against Mauro Cerilli.

One Championship 161 takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium on Aug. 26 and is topped by a 135-pound title rematch between reigning champion Adriano Moraes and Demetrious Johnson. In the co-main event, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao will lock horns with Liam Harrison for the promotion’s bantamweight muay Thai championship. The main card will also include a flyweight muay Thai grand prix semifinal between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Savvas Michael and a muay Thai tournament alternate clash pitting Amir Naeri against Jonathan Haggerty. The event s…

It wasn’t the most exciting of fights, but Caio Borralho was in complete control for the majority of his unanimous decision triumph over Armen Petrosyan in the UFC on ESPN 39 co-main event this past Saturday.

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The 29-year-old Brazilian landed multiple takedowns and spent long periods of the fight attached to Petrosyan’s back in a drama-free victory. Borralho has won nine straight professional outings, including two in the UFC and two on Dana White’s Contender Series. Winning, not entertaining, was the primary objective against a dangerous kickboxer like Petrosyan.

“I got the job done, that’s what matters,” Borralho said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “This is my fourth fight in 10 months, my fourth fight at a high level, and my fourth domination win.

“…I feel blessed, I’m happy with my performance, I did what I needed to do. I got the job done. I’m happy with my performance. I’m a fighting nerd, I will calculate everything and I wil…

Jiri Prochazka believes he still has unfinished business with Glover Teixeira.

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The Czech Republic native claimed light heavyweight gold with a rear-naked choke submission of Teixeira at the 4:32 mark of Round 5 in the UFC 275 headliner last month, but “Denisa” had to survive more than a few moments of adversity to get to that point. In a post on his Instagram account, Prochazka offered Teixeira a rematch, vowing to be much more decisive in a potential return date against the Brazilian veteran.

“I want to fight Glover my next fight,” Prochazka said. “Not because it will be another big fight, but just one reason: My performance was bad the first fight, and I will show you why I’m the champion clearly, decisively. And I think Glover deserves it. So here’s the offer: I will show you why I am the champion.”

A former Rizin Fighting Federation 205-pound champion, Prochazka has won his last 13 professional outings, including stoppages of Teixeira, D…

A featherweight showdown pitting Giga Chikadze against Sodiq Yusuff is official for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s event on Sept. 17.

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The promotion announced the co-main event pairing on Saturday. UFC Fight Night takes place at an as yet to be determined location and is headlined by a bantamweight tilt between Cory Sandhagen and Yadong Song.

The 33-year-old Chikadze had a nine-bout professional winning streak snapped in his last outing, when he fell to Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision in the UFC on ESPN 32 headliner on Jan. 15. The Kings MMA product is 14-3 overall, a record that includes noteworthy finishes of Edson Barboza and Cub Swanson at 145 pounds.

Yusuff, meanwhile, authored a bounce-back effort in his first appearance of 2022, when he outpointed Alex Caceres at UFC Fight Night 203 on March 12. That victory comes on the heels of a decision defeat to rising featherweight contender Arnold Allen at UFC on ABC 2. The Dana White’…

Rafael Fiziev made a strong impression in his first UFC main event appearance.

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After four hard-fought rounds, the lightweight contender put an emphatic stamp on the fight when he knocked out Rafael dos Anjos 18 seconds into the final stanza of their UFC on ESPN 39 clash at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. At the post-fight press conference, Fiziev revealed that his corner gave him a fiery pep talk heading into Round 5.

“In Round 5, my friend and manager and corner, he started to talk to me like his dog, and he started to say to me bad words,” Fiziev said. “‘He said, ‘Hey, what the f—-k are you doing? Go in and f—k him up, or I’ll f—k you up when we go back to the hotel.’ I think, oh, I need to go to Round 5 and do something. ... He always talks with me like this.”

While Fiziev was ahead on the scorecards prior to the finish, he didn’t emerge from the bout unscathed.

“This is first time in 20 years of fighting and he broke my nose…

Rafael dos Anjos liked the direction his fight against Rafael Fiziev was headed going into the final round, but that changed in a matter of seconds.

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Fiziev put an emphatic stamp on the bout by dropping dos Anjos with a left hook and finishing the contest with a standing-to-ground punch 18 seconds into Round 5 in the UFC on ESPN 39 headliner at the UFC Apex on Saturday night. It was the sixth straight win for the Tiger Muay Thai product, and it was a damaging blow to dos Anjos’ hopes of making another title run at 155 pounds.

“He’s a tough dude,” dos Anjos said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I didn’t expect any less from him. I knew guys from east Europe, they’re always tough and I knew it would be a hard fight. Actually his takedown defense impressed me a little bit but I got him down in the fourth [round], hit him with the flying knee, too.

“The fight was pretty close leading up to the fifth. I think I was probably a little bit ahead of him b…

OZZY DIAZ IS THE NEW MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!!#LFA127 pic.twitter.com/2UbTecahUl

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) March 26, 2022

The fight card is official for the opening week of Dana White’s Contender Series.

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Week 1 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on July 26 and is topped by a middleweight clash between Osman Diaz and Joseph Pyfer. The event streams on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. The show, which sends prospects to the UFC based on their performance, is entering its sixth season in 2022.

The rest of the lineup, which was confirmed during the UFC on ESPN 39 broadcast on Saturday, is as follows: Farid Basharat vs. Willian Souza Guadalupe at bantamweight; Anton Turkalj vs. Acacio dos Santos at light heavyweight; Dennis Buzukja vs. Kaleio Romero at featherweight and Alessandro Costa vs. Andres Luna at flyweight.

Diaz, 31, owns a 7-1 professional mark that includes stints in Legacy Fighting Alliance …

Jamie Mullarkey and Michael Johnson kicked off the UFC on ESPN 39 main card with a bang, and they were compensated accordingly for their efforts.

Mullarkey and Johnson received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece for their lightweight battle at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Johnson scored the only knockdown of the bout early in Round 1, but Mullarkey recovered to mount a rally and hurt “The Menace” later in the frame. From there, both men traded liberally for the rest of the fight, but it was Mullarkey who emerged with a split-decision triumph.

Meanwhile, Rafael Fiziev pocketed $50,000 for his fifth-round technical knockout victory against ex-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos in the evening’s main event. After four hard-fought frames, Fiziev floored his opponend with a left hook and sealed his victory with one standing-to-ground punch 18 seconds into the period for his sixth consecutive triumph.

Finally, Chase Sherman garnered the card…

Sherdog's live UFC on ESPN 39 “Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev” coverage will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card or enter your comments and predictions below.

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BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Lawrence (-135), Kakhramonov (+115)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round: Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nzechukwu (-125), Roberson (+105)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores the round:Ben Duffy scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Mike Sloan scores …

Rafael Fiziev appeared to be on his way to a solid-but-not-spectacular decision triumph over Rafael dos Anjos. Then lightning struck.

Fiziev took another significant step toward title contention in the lightweight division with a fifth-round technical knockout victory against dos Anjos in the UFC on ESPN 39 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Referee Mark Smith waved off the fight 18 seconds into the fifth round, giving the Tiger Muay Thai standout his first main event victory in the Octagon. Fiziev has won six straight fights at 155 pounds, the fourth-longest active winning streak in the division.

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Exhibiting stellar defensive wrestling in addition to his multi-faceted striking arsenal, Fiziev appeared to be build a solid lead on the scorecards heading into the championship rounds as he stuffed multiple takedowns while attacking with punching combinations, kicks to all levels, leaping knees and standing elbows. Dos Anjos made a …

Cody Brundage SAID NO MORE WRESTLING pic.twitter.com/RSN7DPzBHI

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 10, 2022

Cody Brundage made short work of “The Ultimate Fighter 29” cast member Tresean Gore in a middleweight encounter, winning via knockout in the featured UFC on ESPN 39 preliminary bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Factory X member unleashed a salvo of ground-and-pound from mount to seal his victory at the 3:50 mark of Round 1. Brundage has authored back-to-back first-round finishes in UFC competition.

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Brundage (8-2, 2-1 UFC) forced Gore (3-2, 0-2 UFC) to wrestle early, but that approach changed as the bout progressed. While the early grappling exchange appeared to have fatigued the Brighton, Michigan, native, he was merely biding his time. Brundage set the stage for the final sequence when he countered a Gore low kick with a right hook. That sent Gore to the canvas and Brundage pounced…

A proposed flyweight clash between Nina Nunes and Cynthia Calvillo won’t be happening at UFC on ESPN 39 as originally planned.

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The bout has been removed from today’s card after Nunes withdrew from the bout due to what she called a “stomach virus” on social media. The cancellation was subsequently confirmed by promotion officials. According to MMAjunkie.com, the UFC hopes to rebook the fight for its Aug. 13 event.

“Hey everyone, I had an amazing camp and the best weight cut yet,” Nunes wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately I picked up a stomach virus and have been sick since right after weigh ins. I tried as much as I could to make this better and still be able to fight. Sadly it has taken a tear on my body and I won’t be able to perform tonight. Sorry to my opponent. We are rescheduling it as we speak.”

Nunes was slated to make her 125-pound debut against Calvillo. The former strawweight contender returned to the Octagon after nearly two years…

Alfonso Leyva looks like the real deal.

The two-time Olympic wrestler remained undefeated in his wildly successful Legacy Fighting Alliance debut, as he dispatched Daniel Reis with elbows in the second round of their LFA 135 headliner on Friday at the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix. Reis (8-2, 0-1 LFA) bowed out 1:10 into Round 2, his modest two-fight winning streak having run its course.

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Leyva (6-0, 1-0 LFA) was stoic and methodical in his approach. He powered into top position late in the first round, unleashed his ground-and-pound and nearly finished it in the waning seconds. Only the bell saved Reis. The dejected Sombra Team-trained Brazilian emerged for the middle stanza with little left in the tank. Levy moved on top again early in Round 2 and blasted Reis with elbows until the job was done.

Meanwhile, Pitbull Brothers rep Felipe Bunes consolidated multiple takedowns with effective ground-and-pound and suffocating top control, as he picke…

Depending on how this October headliner shakes out, the Ultimate Fighting Championship could have a top strawweight contender on deck.

According to ESPN on Friday, the Oct. 1 UFC Fight Night event – one that does not currently have a location designated – will have a strawweight headliner. The five-round main draw comes between Mackenzie Dern (12-2) and Xiaonan Yan (15-3), which comes between two women currently ranked in the top five of their division.

Dern bounced back from a 25-minute decision defeat to Marina Rodriguez in October 2021 by claiming a split verdict over the resurgent Tecia Torres in April. That loss to Rodriguez halted a four-fight win streak with three submissions, as she tapped Nina Nunes, Randa Markos and Hannah Cifers on her way up the 115-pound rankings. Beyond Rodriguez, the only other woman to beat Dern is Amanda Ribas, who also snagged a decision win over Dern in 2019. As a pro, the Arizona native celebrates nearly 60% of her wins by submissio…

Photographs of one of the more important but unknown progenitors of the Gracie legacy have been unearthed.

In 2008, Reila Gracie was the first to discuss a secret, one hidden under lock and key for more than five decades by the Gracies, in her book, “Carlos Gracie: The Creator of a Dynasty.” In this publication, Reila identified a woman simply named Ms. Belinha, who played a major factor in how the Gracie family came together and grew into what it is today. Many years later, Rickson Gracie addressed the subject in his own book, titled “Breathe: A Life in Flow,” which came out in 2021. While most believed that Margarida Gracie gave birth to the legendary BJJ masters Rorion Gracie, Relson Gracie and Rickson Gracie, that is not the case.

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Per both Reila and Rickson’s books, Margarida could not have children. Armed with this news, Helio’s brother Carlos had quite the suggestion to proliferate the family name. Carlos already created a massive family of …

Big business here at welterweight. No. 5 vs. No. 9 in the official rankings. Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) vs. Sean Brady (@seanbradymma) is verbally agreed for Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, per sources. pic.twitter.com/z2DodT19HS

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 8, 2022 A high-stakes welterweight matchup is the first fight booked for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to the United Arab Emirates in October.

In March, the promotion announced that it would be heading back to the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Since then, no fight had been booked for that UFC 281 lineup until Friday. The UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN broke the news that Belal Muhammad (21-3, 1 NC) will square off with Sean Brady (15-0) in a pivotal battle at 170 pounds. The Oct. 22 fight has been verbally agreed to, and contracts are expected to be signed soon.

Muhammad is currently riding a stellar eight-fight unbeaten streak, with a t…

BREAKING: Antonio Carlos Jr. is out of his Light Heavyweight Semifinals bout. #5 in the standings @jmdasilv enters the #PFLPlayoffs against ATT teammate Omari Akhmedov! pic.twitter.com/KsqGUks1gc

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 8, 2022 The Professional Fighters League light heavyweight bracket has just experienced a massive shakeup.

Per the promotion on Friday morning, Antonio Carlos Jr. will no longer be vying for the million-dollar prize in the 205-pound division. In his own statement on Instagram, Carlos Jr. explained that he suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and keep him out action for quite some time. In his stead will be fellow American Top Team teammate, unbeaten Joshua Silveira (9-0), who will be squaring off with Omari Akhmedov (23-7-1), with the latter a member of ATT as well. The two light heavyweights will square off at PFL 7: 2022 Playoffs on Aug. 5 at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York.

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A pair of injuries to Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters has forced an unplanned matchup up a division in a week.

On Thursday night, Bill Algeo (15-6) posted on his Instagram Stories that his opponent, Billy Quarantillo, had been forced out of their featherweight match. Per MMA Junkie shortly after Algeo’s post, the reason was reportedly due to injury. Additionally, Khusein Askhabov posted a photo of himself on Instagram still in Thailand with his brother, where he was wearing a sling on his arm. His bantamweight bout with Herbert Burns (11-3) was at risk of falling through as well, and according to MMA Fighting, Burns will no longer be facing Askhabov.

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Algeo announced on his OnlyFans page that he will be squaring off with Burns at this event on July 16. The fight card, titled UFC on ABC 3, will go on at the UBS Arena in Long Island, N.Y. Their clash has been changed to a featherweight matchup in Algeo’s initial weight class, and Burns will not…

First to the scales, the legend @RdosAnjosMMA is in at 156 pounds

[ #UFCVegas58 | TOMORROW | Prelims 6pm ET Main Card 9pm ET LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/ioUYh1hMLu

— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2022

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to ESPN airwaves on Saturday with a lightweight showdown between former champion Rafael dos Anjos and rising contender Rafael Fiziev. All 24 fighters made weight for UFC on ESPN 39.

After an up-and-down stay at welterweight, Dos Anjos has found new life after dropping back down to lightweight. The former 155-pound king has won back-to-back five-round decisions over Paul Felder and Renato Carneiro. He'll look to improve his win streak to three against Fiziev. Ever the professional, dos Anjos weighed 156 pounds on the dot.

Fiziev enters his first UFC main event with an impressive 11-1 record. "Ataman" bounced back from his first career defeat in 2019 with five straight wins, inc…

There goes my rematch....

🤣🤣🤣

— Adrian Yanez (@yanezmma) July 7, 2022 Those that celebrated Tony Kelley’s recent defeat will rejoice with the news that his Ultimate Fighting Championship run has ended.

Automated Twitter account UFCRosterWatch posted on Thursday that Kelley (8-3) has been removed from the UFC roster. This does not necessarily mean that he was cut, as he competed four times from 2020 to 2022 – the UFC often provides fighters with four-fight contracts – but it does indicate that he has not been re-signed if his contract ended. Recent opponent Adrian Yanez posted on Twitter about the ending of Kelley’s UFC deal, stating, “There goes my rematch,” accompanied by laughing emojis.

Kelley suffered a loss in a grudge match with Yanez in June, where the Texas native destroyed him in less than four minutes. The defeat snapped a two-fight win streak that saw him beat Ali AlQaisi and Randy Costa inside the Octagon. After losing t…

Fast-rising Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Andre Muniz is not shying away from a challenge.

At UFC 276, Muniz (23-4) earned his fifth win in as many attempts in the UFC, deflating powerful striker Uriah Hall by a clear-cut unanimous decision. The victory elevated Muniz to the no. 10 spot in the UFC’s rankings, and the #13 position on Sherdog’s Official Rankings at 185 pounds as well. Muniz, who spoke to Sherdog on Wednesday, is already thinking about his next opponent and his return to the cage.

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“That camp to face Uriah Hall was especially very long, almost five months of hard training,” Muniz admitted. “Hall unfortunately had a problem and it needed to be postponed, but thank God everything went out exactly how my team predicted. My foot is hurting after I kicked Uriah’s elbow, but I don’t think it's something serious, I’ve just got some exams this week and I’m waiting for the results to know exactly what happened. My plan is to be bac…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RWSaAiRzmI&w=560&h=315] On just over a month’s notice, YouTuber Jake Paul has a new opponent for his upcoming boxing match at Madison Square Garden.

Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) had been previously linked to a cruiserweight battle against Tommy Fury (8-0, 4 KOs) on the Aug. 6 pay-per-view boxing event in New York. In June, however, Fury found that he was not allowed to enter the U.S. due to his ties to notorious crime boss Daniel Kinahan and the Kinahan Cartel, and he has been forced out of the fight for these reasons. In his stead, according to ESPN on Thursday, will be Hasim Rahman Jr., a professional boxer with a 12-1 record sporting six knockouts. The fight will now be contested at 200 pounds, and it has been scheduled for eight rounds.

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Rahman Jr., the son of two-time heavyweight champ Hasim Rahman, has followed in his father’s footsteps with decent results thus far. While only three of his first 12 opponents held w…